Concrete septjlcher



J. A'. GREEN.

CONCRETE SEPULCHEH.

APPLICATION man ocT. 1.o, 1919.

1,37-33326, Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

M mim) Jiu/ela of A Grecia UNITED sra'rss QFFICE.

JAMES A. GREEN, OF BAYARD, VIRGINIA.

CONCRETE snrULcHER.

To all whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES A. GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Bayard, in the county of Warren and tate of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Concrete Sepulchers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a concrete sepulcher which will afford not only a very economical, but also a very superior means of burying the dead.

The primary object of the invention is to provide for the construction, in situ, of sepulchersor vaults under all weather and climatic conditions in a manner which will permit of the work being properly and effectually carried on without interference and without likelihood of the work being affected bythe; prevailing conditions ifof an inclement nature. Thus the invention contemplates the construction of a concrete orcement sepulcher or vault under conditions favorable to the permanency of the work and to the proper setting of the material of which it is formed. x

f A further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of sepulcher and a novel means whereby the head or foot stones or both may be set into place and Supported.

VIn the accompanying drawings: Y

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sepulcher constructed in accordance with the invention the cover thereforbeing omitted;'

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view therethrough;

Fig 3 isa vertical longitudinal sectional view with the cover in place;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating -a more elaborate embodiment of the invention; f Y

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional n view through the structure shown in Fig. 5;

` the use of forms except where the soil con- Fig. 6 is a .perspective view illustrating a booth which is to be employed in carrying out the invention in inclement weather or under climatic conditions such as would otherwise interfere with the work. l

The'invention contemplatesithat the sepulcher shall be constructed n situ by the simple operation of troweling and without ditions are such as to render the use of forms absolutely necessary, as for example in various sandy or loose soils.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 19221.

Application filed October 10, 1919. Serial No. 329,786.

In carrying out the invention, as illustrated 1n Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the grave is dug in the usual manner and of the required dimensions to permit of the sepulcher being built therewithin. By troweling and the other well-known operations 1n the cement workers art, a sepulcher 1s constructed within the grave and comprlses a bottom l, side walls 2, end walls 3, and a top or cover which is indicated in general by the numeral ,4. The walls 2 and 3 are .preferably reinforced by vertically extending ribs indicated respectively by the numerals 5 and 6 which ribs are integral with the outer surfaces of the walls and may e produced by cutting grooves in the side and end walls of the grave. The walls 2 and 3 are further lprovided at their upper edges with outwardly projecting horizontal fianges or ledges indicated respectively by the numerals 7 and 8, Vthe upper surfaces of which provide a rest for the top or cover of the sepulcher. As illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, this cover may be made ma number of sections indicated by the numeral 9 and of any desired construction although in the illustrated embodiment a number of the sections are assembled edge to edge and extend transversely across the top of the sepulcher. In order to provide a water and air-tight union between the sections comprising the cover 4 and between the cover and the flanges or ledges 7 and 3, any suitable cementitious material may be applied between these contacting surfaces as indicated Yby the numeral 10 and as clearly shown in Fig. 3. This form of sepulcher is of a simple and inexpensive nature and at the'same time it affords a highly effective waterand air-tight incasement for the casket as well as preventing sinking of the grave.

Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings illustrate a more elaborate embodiment of the invention and in vconstructing this form of the inv vention, the sepulcher proper is built up in the manner above described and comprises a bottom 11, side walls 12, and end walls 13 which do not differ materially in their general form from the corresponding partsV these extensions is provided at its top with a supporting ledge or head piece 17 upon which may rest the foundation for the head or foot stone as the case may be. In the said figures the numeral 1S indicates the foundationfor the head or foot stone, which foundation may consist of any suitable material and is disposed to rest upon the upper surface of the ledge 17. This foundation is provided upon its under side with a depending anchoring member '19 which is em-V bedded in the soil opposite and spaced from the extension 14 upon which the foundation 18 rests. The base of the head or foot stone as the case may be is indicated by the numeral 2O and thel same rests directly upon the foundation 18 and the greater `portion thereof is embedded in the soil, the stone, indicated by the numeral 21, being set into or otherwise unitedn with the said base, as clearly shown in Fig. 4;. Y

As beforestated the sepulcher whether of v the simplest Vform or of amore elaborate form, is to be molded a situ and where the soil is. of a clay or heavy nature, this may be done without diiiiculty or inconvenience and without the employment of mold forms of Y any kind whatsoever. However, if lsoilconditions are met with which are unsuitable for this method of construction, moldV forms may be employed within the dug grave so as toremedy the difficulty, but as such expedients are commonly resorted to in the'art' they do not constitute a part of the present invention nor arethey illustrated or described. Y i

In order that the above described method of making the sepulcher may be rendered entirely practicable under any and all circumstances, l provide a collapsible booth.

such asfillustrated in a general manner in Fig. 6 of the drawings and indicated by the numeral 22; This booth will Abemade about four feet wide and eight feet long and will Vtherefore be of ample size to completely cover the larger size 'of grave. This booth will be employed except when temperature and weather conditions render its use unnec;

eslary. The booth will l`be built of such height as to afford' standing room for a tall workman, and in the comb of the roof of the booth there will be provided'a suitable number of hooks indicated by the numeral 23 from, which may be suspended ordinary flash lights which zwill afford ample illumination for carryingon the necessary work in getf ting the grave ready for the burial. This is y all so simple as to be very readily `understood butv 'at the same time the language herein embodied is not only anfimportant part of this specification, but is one ofv the Vcardinal features of the invention.

In stating all the necessary facts in connection herewith to the end that the status of this invention cannot be misconstrued, I hereby state the necessary means for consummation of the work under prescribed lines. in pursuance of this routine I provide suggestions or instructions for the enecution of all `ideas as may be good ground work for the necessary details.

The building of this concrete work in the vault and in fact as far up as the freezing process will begin or end, and where the base of the grave stone or monument will rest .will preferably be done with an ordinary masons ytrowel7 but in rare cases,.or cases not rare, where thel character' the soil must be successfully met T suggest and instruct the employment of any necessary form that will secure a perfect structure of the work. Such form may be of aluminum or other suitable metal, of wood, fiber or any other suitable substance.

After the work is done undera temperature derived from the use of a small oil stove or stoves in very cold weather, the booth must be removed and a thick felt, rubber, or other blanket is to be spread over the grave; but before the coverfis put on a very small oil stove must be left in the grave and a small receptacleof water left in the same in order to produce a suitable quantity of steam to prevent freezing in cold weather; and when the blanket is put over the grave and secured by rings with sticks driven in the ground within the rings to secure the same and dirt put around to' provide for the retention-of the desired temperature, the booth must be put over the whole in case of snowy or rainy weather or in any case-if desired.

Having thus described'the invention, what is claimed as new isf Y 1. The method of constructing a sepulcher n situ which comprises forming an eX- eavation. forming groovesin the faces of the walls thereof, Vand applyingV a layer of plastic'material to the walls of the excavation to form the walls of the sepulcher and causing some of the material to enter the said grooves wherebyreinforcing ribs will be provided upon theouter surfaces of the sepulcher walls. j

2. A concrete sepulcher having one of its walls formed .with an offset upward extension to provide a rest for a tomb stone base,V

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